Welcome

I am a Researcher in the Vertebrate Ecology Lab at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories in Moss Landing, CA (MLML).

My primary interests lie in the intersection of bioacoustics and conservation. To study this, I use suction-cup acoustic tags to correlate sound production with underwater behavior of marine mammals. Currently, I am focusing on the effects of anthropogenic sound on the social behavior and foraging ecology of cetaceans in southern California, particularly Risso’s dolphins and fin whales, as part of the Southern California Behavioral Response Study (SOCAL BRS). This is in addition to maintaining a long time research program on humpback whale acoustic behavior, which has included work in the waters around Hawaii, Massachusetts, Alaska, and Antarctica. Gaining an understanding of the behavioral context of whale sound production will aid our interpretation of how anthropogenic sound in the ocean may affect whale populations, and can also be used in conservation and management strategies for remote monitoring of whale behavior and movements.